


Swimming In Egypt

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Harry & Ginny friendship, Hogwarts Era, M/M, Pansy & Draco friendship, Romance, flangst, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-21
Updated: 2006-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:38:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8589418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: Harry's reluctant and Draco's in denial, but luckily Pansy and Ginny know exactly how to handle that little matter of the Halloween Ball.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine.

Grinning from ear to ear, Pansy Parkinson strides into the Slytherin Common Room. "Ladies and gentlemen," she announces a little louder than strictly necessary. "The Halloween costumes have arrived!"  
  
From his spot on the sofa, Draco sneers. "Halloween costumes, indeed," he grumbles to no one in particular. "What an embarrassingly _juvenile_ way to waste a perfectly good evening."  
  
She shakes her head in amusement and plops down next to him. "You know, Drakey-Pooh..." She's well aware he hates that nickname with the passion of a thousand fires, so she makes a point of using it often. "Just because _you're_ too much of a dimwit to ask the one you fancy to the Ball, doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't have any fun!"  
  
"I don't fancy anyone." He huffs and crosses his arms indignantly.  
  
"DracoDracoDraco," she says in a sing-song voice. "Still swimming in Egypt, even after all this time..."  
  
"Swimming in ... ?" He raises a quizzical eyebrow. "What the hell are you blabbering about, Parkinson? Is that another one of those daft American expressions you picked up from that Owlpal in Salem?"  
  
"Denial, my dear," she replies with a grin. "How long are you going to keep lying to yourself, mmmm?"  
  
He rolls his eyes and gives an exaggerated sigh. "Please don't tell me this is about _Potter_ again. How often do I have to repeat it, Pansy? How many more times do we have to go over this? I don't fancy Harry Potter. I _hate_ Harry _sodding_ Potter."  
  
"Yes, do keep telling yourself that, Draco darling. Who knows? Some day you might even end up believing it." She leaps up and kisses him on the cheek, before she adds with a cocky grin, "You'll be the only one who does, though."  
  
Draco opens his mouth to say something, but before he can think of a fitting retort, his best friend has already skipped out of the room.  
  
He shakes his head and he lets out a deep sigh. Much as he loves Pansy, at times like this, he really wants to strangle the girl. Why can't she just drop the Potter issue already? He doesn't fancy Potter. Not at all. Honestly, what a ludicrous notion!  
  
The fact that he thinks about him, occasionally, at rather inappropriate times, that's all down to hormones, nothing else. Draco's a teenage boy after all, and Potter isn't _completely_ repulsive looking.  
  
And as for those dreams...  
  
They don't mean a thing, either; including the ones involving the Quidditch changing rooms. No, he corrects himself, _especially_ the ones involving the Quidditch changing rooms.  
  
Feeling mildly uncomfortable and just a little too warm all of a sudden, Draco gets up from the sofa. He thinks some fresh air might do him good. 

  
\------------- 

 

Up in Gyffindor Tower, Harry Potter paces the Common Room nervously. "Don't be ridiculous, Ginny," he says and forces a laugh. "This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about."  
  
"Oh, please... Even Ron's noticed by now. How long have you had this crush on him, exactly?"  
  
"I don't have a..." he begins, but she quickly cuts him off.  
  
"Harry James Potter," she says sternly, with a glare she must have inherited from her mother, "don't you _dare_ lie to me or take me for a moron!"  
  
Harry sighs. He realises he's fighting a losing battle. "All right, fine," he admits, holding his hands up in defeat. "You're right. All of you are right. I have a hugely embarrassing, pointless crush on someone who hates my guts. Happy now?"  
  
"Glad we've finally got that sorted." She grins. "Now, what if I were to tell you that Malfoy feels the same way, that he likes you back but is too much of a stubborn git to do anything about it?"  
  
Harry frowns. "If you told me _that_ , Ginny, then I'd advise you to go and see the nurse straight away."  
  
She shakes her head, puts her hands on her hips, and says pointedly, "The biggest pig-headed fool to ever set foot in this castle is one competition you _don't_ want to win, Harry."

  
  
\------------ 

 

  
He spots him in the garden, so he walks over, tentatively, hoping this is the right thing to do and resolving to have Ginny's hide later if it turns out she lied to him.  
  
"Um, Malfoy?" he begins hesitantly.  
  
The Slytherin turns around. "Potter?"  
  
"Can I have a word?"  
  
"Technically," he drawls, "you just had six already, seven if _um_ is considered a word these days."  
  
Harry plucks a loose thread from his robes and remains silent. He could have foreseen this wouldn't end well, and he definitely should have known better than to listen to Ginny. That girl may be many things, but she's no Hermione.  
  
"So?" Draco speaks again, looking bored already. "Kindly get on with it."  
  
"Right." Harry clears his throat. "I was wondering..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
" _Iwaskindofwonderingifyouwouldliketogototheballwithme._ "  
  
"No," he says dryly. "I'm afraid I didn't catch any of that, Potter."  
  
Malfoy looks like he's about to burst out laughing and Harry thinks this is just like Cho all over again, except for the fact that this is Malfoy, not Cho, which only makes it so much worse. "The Halloween Ball," he tries again.  
  
"Yes? What about it?"  
  
He takes a deep breath. "Would you like to go with me?"  
  
Draco's eyes widen in surprise. "You... _What?!_ " he blurts out. "Are you asking me to the Ball, Potter?"  
  
"Yes," Harry says in small voice and he knows he's in for it now: a cruel and inevitable rejection.  
  
It doesn't come; or at least, not just yet. "Why?"  
  
Harry takes another deep, bracing breath. " _BecauseIsortoflikeyou._ "  
  
"Fascinating." Draco smirks. "And for those of us who don't speak Blithering Idiot, that translates as...?"  
  
Harry's sure he must be blushing furiously now, but he couldn't possibly make an even bigger idiot out of himself, so he supposes it doesn't really matter. "I've liked you for a while," he says quietly. "I don't know if it's mutual and fair enough if it's not, but this is our last year here, so I thought I should at least... well... erm..."  
  
"You _like_ me?" Draco blinks. "Is this some kind of trick? If I say _yes_ , will Weasley jump out from behind those bushes over there, laughing his arse off?"  
  
"No," Harry says quickly, and then it hits him. "Um, so... does that mean you would?"  
  
"I would _what_?"  
  
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Harry clenches his fists in frustration. Yes, this was clearly a bad idea, a very bad idea; although... on the other hand... Why, Harry wonders, would Malfoy even ask what would happen if he said _yes_? Is this another one of his games?  
  
Draco shakes his head. He takes a step closer. He lifts a hand and tilts up Harry's chin. The boy's looking at the ground, but Draco wants him to look into his eyes instead. He wants to be sure. He _needs_ to be.  
  
Harry freezes. Malfoy's suddenly very close, touching his face and staring into his eyes. Is this the part where fists start to fly? Harry tells himself, there and then, he's never asking anyone out, _ever_ again; not for as long as he lives, and that's that.  
  
"Potter," Malfoy says softly. "The answer's _yes_."  
  
Harry's jaw drops. "What?"  
  
Draco lifts his other hand as well and cups Harry's face. "Yes, I'll go to the dance with you," he whispers and surprises them both when he leans in for a gentle kiss.  
  
Harry doesn't quite know what to do or even think, but then he decides that this is quite nice, so he carefully wraps an arm around Malfoy and kisses him back.

  
  
\------------ 

 

  
Behind a nearby hedge, two girls grin at one another and shake hands.  
  
"Good going, Weasley."  
  
"Right back at you, Parkinson."  
  
"Let's get out of here, huh? Before they come back down to earth and spot us."  
  
"Okay. One thing first, though..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Who's taking you to the Ball?"  
  
She shrugs. "I was thinking of asking Greg."  
  
"Oh, do you like him then?"  
  
Another shrug. "He's all right. Why? Do you have a better idea, Weasley?"  
  
"Yeah." She grins mischievously. "What about me?"  
  
"What?" Pansy giggles. "Are you serious?"  
  
Ginny bites her lip and nods slowly. "Yes."  
  
Pansy thinks it over for a good ten seconds, before she answers with a wide smile, "Sure, why not? We can give those prats over there a run for their money."  
  
Ginny returns the smile and hand in hand, the girls walk back to the castle.  
  
Draco and Harry are snogging in earnest by now and far too wrapped up in each other to notice.

 

 


End file.
